Part 3You Can’t Catch Me

Three years ago, Wendy was a poor student.

Lewis Stallone, her father, ran away after racking up a huge debt, and Margaret, her mother, married someone else while abandoning her.

She could not even pay her tuition fees and nearly had to quit school.

I was the one who had foolishly taken out my entire savings and paid her tuition fees.

In order to continue letting her study, I worked three jobs a day.

I woke up at 5 a.m. to deliver milk. During the day, I washed dishes in a restaurant. At night, I went to the market to sell clothes.

I had chilblains on my hands during the winter, and when it was summer, it was so hot that I fainted from heatstroke.

However, I never complained about the hardship, because Wendy had said, “You treat me the best in the world, Zidane. Once I make it, I’ll definitely make sure you live a good life.”

Back then, she would fill a bucket full of water to help me wash my feet after I came back from work.

When I was sick, she carried me and walked for miles to go to a hospital.

For my birthday, she made a ring using grass and seriously slid it on my ring finger.

“This ring might not be worth any money, but it represents my heart. Next time, I’ll buy a diamond ring for you,” she promised.

I actually believed her.

I thought that as long as we worked hard together, life would become better for us.

However, reality gave me a brutal wake-up call.

People could change, especially when they received sudden wealth and got a major boost in status.

Wendy changed into someone I could not recognize.

She started saying that my clothes were tacky, looked down on my coarse hands, and said that I would embarrass her if she brought me out.

She began mingling with the rich heirs and stayed out overnight.

Also, she started listening to everything Clark said and mocked me.

“Zidane, could you stop being so petty? Clark just asked me to go out on a stroll with him.

“Look at you. You look like a househusband. Could you clean up a bit?

“Could you stop talking about the past all the time? It’s annoying.”

Her words cut into my heart like knives.

I thought that as long as I endured it a little longer, she would become the Wendy I knew back then, but I was wrong.

Trash would always stay trash, just as a turd always stayed a turd.

My phone rang.

When I checked the caller ID, I found that it was an unknown number.

After some hesitation, I answered.

“Where are you, Zidane?” Wendy’s furious roar came through.

“Where’s that deep blue dress of mine? Where did you put it? I have to meet a client today, and I can’t find it!”

I was momentarily stunned before I let out a cold chuckle. “Have you lost your mind, Wendy? We’ve broken up. Why is it my business where your dress is?”

Wendy was silent for a few seconds, as if she was not expecting me to be so assertive all of a sudden.

Then, she became even more frustrated. “Broke up? You actually went through with it? Zidane, don’t push your luck! I’m going to count to three, and you’re coming back to look for my dress for me, or else—”

“Or else what?” I interrupted her. “Or you’re going to make me leave? Make me homeless? Make me starve to death? Get a grip, Wendy. I left. You’re the one who asked me to leave. Now, you got your wish. I’m gone. Stop bothering me again!”

I hung up and blocked that number too.

The world finally turned silent.

I sucked in a deep breath and felt as if the weight on my shoulders had become slightly lighter.

It was not as hard as I thought to say no to her, and after leaving her, the air smelled much fresher.